Mortal Kombat Fan Fiction ❯ Of Butterflies and Blizzards ❯ The Change ( Chapter 1 )

'There are no accidental meetings between souls.' - Sheila Burke

Grandmaster Liang entered the training arena with a disciplined air, his steps steady and proud. 

Although inside he was nervous...something felt off about today and he could not place it. He did not sense danger but some part of him sensed that...something...was going to happen. Something profound.

His brother had been training new recruits for a few months now and he had come to check their progress. 

All twenty students had been divided into pairs and were sparring intensely. 

Bi-han was walking among the pairs, correcting a punch here or a stance there. Or even putting an overly enthusiastic student back in their place.

He finally looked up and noticed the other grandmaster had arrived.

"Xuéshēngmen Zhùyì lì!"

The students all halted, hands immediately held behind their backs.

"The other Grandmaster has arrived to see your progress."

They bowed respectively. "Welcome Grandmaster Liang!"

Kuai nodded approvingly. "You may continue your sparring. Be vigilant in perfecting your movements. The Lin Kuei fight flawlessly. There are no exceptions."

"Thank you grandmaster!"

"So brother, what do you think?"

Sub-zero nodded, "they look competent enough, but the coming months will truly test their resolve."

"Some more than others." 

Kuai looked sharply to his brother, waiting for an explanation but noticed the other's man's gaze was locked onto a pair in the far back left corner.

He watched with Bi-Han for a moment before speaking.

"Which one?"

He points. "The smaller one." 

They both watched the pair trade elbows, the smaller woman ducked and then flipped over the taller one, landing a kick to her back.

"She is skilled but..."

"But?" Kuai presses.

The older brother only shook his head and just pointed.

The tall woman feinted a kick to the left causing the smaller one to throw her arms up but at the last second the taller spun and landed a kick to her right temple, knocking her to the ground.

"She still can't protect her right side. No matter how many extra exercises I give her, it still does not help. I'm at a loss, brother. She has potential but I may have to fail her."

Liang was disappointed to lose a potential candidate. But there was no room for weakness among the Lin Kuei.

"Damn it!" He was shaken out of his thoughts when his brother rushed forward suddenly. The woman had still not gotten up.

He quickly followed him, students moving to the side to allow him access.

The taller woman bowed, "I didn't mean to hit her that hard, Grandmaster. I was trying to help with her blind spot as you instructed."

"Go, Safiyah. You did no wrong here. But you will do 20 laps around the arena."

The woman nodded and left with a practiced bow.

Bi-han kneels down  and touches the girl's shoulder.

"Izzy, wake up."

When she doesn't wake he gently turns her over, hands running over her head and face, checking how severe her injury is. That is when Kuai Liang heard his brother gasp and then chuckle.

"So that's why."

"Brother?"

Bi-han scoops her up and stands slowly.

"We will have the healers look her over for anything severe."

The grandmaster agreed, they were after all responsible for their students' wellbeing. 

When they arrived at the medical ward, she was deferred to a cot.

Bihan shook his head, "the private room, at once. And you will inform only I or the grandmaster when she wakes."

The healers nodded and carried the girl into the small room usually reserved for the grandmaster.

Kuai grabbed his brother's arm, "what is the meaning of this? Such a fuss over a student...why Bi-Han?"

He nodded, understanding his brother's worry.
 
"I have to see to the other students and find something, then I will return and explain. Stay here. I will not be long."

"Very well brother."

Liang didn't know why he agreed to stay and keep an eye on the woman. The healers could easily do that. But his brother had asked and so he relented.

The healers were quick but efficient in their task in assessing her wound. 

But it did not prepare them for when they had removed her mask. Pale porcelain skin and a dusting of freckles across a small pert nose. Her lips were chapped, but full. She was...pretty.

He swallowed thickly, blushing slightly. He had seen plenty of beautiful women in his life so why did this one have him blushing.
 
He shook his head. 'No. He was grandmaster. This was only a momentary weakness. It would pass with training and meditation. He would remove it from his mind.'

Once she was assessed, the healer gave their diagnosis. 

"There is a small cut but no fracture. The force of the hit was only enough to knock her unconscious. So we will stitch the cut, bandage it and keep her here for observation until she wakes up."

The grandmaster bowed. "See that it is done."

And as they set to work, Kuai sat down on the floor near the bed falling easily into a meditative state. He was confused by his reaction and set himself to figuring out why.

Now if only his brother would hurry and return.

/  -  /  -  /

She groaned as she came to, her head was pounding. When her hand reached up to touch her head she found it bandaged.

Izzy let her hand fall back to the cot. 

That had been one hell of a hit.

'Damn it!' She was upset with herself. She had trained so hard the last few weeks to help with her handicap but still nothing was working.

Slowly opening her eyes she rubbed at them and immediately sat up, her hand covering her right eye.

"No!"

"You should not be moving so quickly. It will make the pain worse."

She stilled and quickly her whole face shifted to look at the man sitting cross-legged on the floor by her bed.

"Grandmaster Liang!"

He nodded, eyes still closed. Her voice was soft and breathless. He found that he liked it. 

"The healers did not find a fracture but you suffered a cut. They have stitched it. That is why you are bandaged."

"Thank you."

He opened his eyes and they locked with hers and he was shocked to find she was covering the right one.

"Does your eye pain you? I can get a healer to look at it."

"No!"

He tilted his head in confusion at her quick outburst.

She shook her head awkwardly, hand still pressed over her eye.

"I'd say you were looking for this?"

Both their gazes snapped to the doorway where her teacher, Master Bi-Han was holding a small round object between his thumb and forefinger.

"Now, Isabeau, why did you fail to mention you had a false eye?"